The winner of a coin design competition by the Dutch Ministry of Finance is a beautiful, thoughtful coin completely designed with free software. It concentrates on information design and typography, which in English means that it'd make a perfect gift for me some day. ;)

Just like they seem to have thought of everything already in philosophy, the ancient Greeks had a joke book with much of the same style of humor as today (434 words), including Monthy Python’s dead parrot sketch (3m 25s).

This might just be a designer thing, but if you think you're good at eyeballing lines and angles, try playing the eyeballing game.

via Nate Koechley

I have no idea what they’re saying, but Deichkind is pretty cool German hip hop/ghettotech. Recommendations to get started: Ich Betaeube Mich (3m 30s), Bon Voyage (3m 24s), Electric Super Dance Band 2m 26s), Limit (3m 03s)

It’s a little morbid, but whenever I die, I think it’d be pretty cool to go out with a reef ball, a mold where they combine your cremated ashes with a bit of replacement coral reef. There’s not much of a point to adding a person’s remains to it, but it’s a good way to get your family to sponsor coral reef redevelopment. The service also saves a bit of money in the process, at least compared to a burial.

Another alternative is a sky burial (really gross, graphic pictures; prepare yourself), but that’s probably a little too gross to ask of people. To put it bluntly, they feed a dissected corpse to the birds. This isn’t appalling to do in Buddhist Tibet — Buddhists believe your body is merely a vessel for your spirit, so when you die, it becomes a useless, insignificant object. It’s an agreeable position, but still a dirty way of doing things.

via reddit

I feel like my wardrobe could use some more designer tees. Perhaps everybody's wardrobe could.

When a hedge-fund manager recently quit after a year with 870% gains (610 words), he left an angry note for his clients with a few hilarious points: you can profit off the stupid, living for a legacy is ridiculous, the rich and powerful in America essentially form an aristocracy, our government is broken, and marijuana should be legalized. Oh how I love it when people are real (even if what they're saying is debatable).

Governor Clinton campaigned on “real hope for change,” but President Bush has the “experience” we need so we don’t go to sleep without “the fear of nuclear war.” Governor Clinton is going to try to make you think the economy is worse than it actually is, but President Bush knows it’s just a worldwide slowdown. I wonder what will happen next.

The depressing list of ways the human mind is essentially fucked reminded me of another Wikipedia gem. Although many of them have already been popularly debunked, Wikipedia’s list of common misconceptions might contain a few things you didn’t know. My personally held ones include: due to population increases, over half of humans are currently alive; Eskimos have a larger number of words for snow than other languages; and, most embarrassingly, that Muslims believe martyrs are awarded 72 virgins after death. It's okay now. I've been saved.

The Oak Beams of New College, Oxford (1m 20s) give a warming anecdote for the future of society.

via Legatissimo

“San Francisco is to hold a vote on whether to rename one of its largest sewage treatment facilities after George W. Bush, in what supporters describe as ‘a fitting monument to the President’s work.’” (381 words)

via Reddit

As the economy dwindles, the wealthy are stressing over being less wealthy (1,465 words). Do I hear buying opportunity? If you’re in that troubling situation where you can’t afford your Rolex, I guess I could take it off your hands for $10 or so.

via Reddit

Summer can be boring, which is when the unbearably cute games from Orsinal come in handy. Another beautiful flash game is Music Catch from Reflexive.

via Reddit

President Bush made a guest appearance on Deal or No Deal (1m 49s) this week, but strangely enough, it matched its lowest Monday rating ever (374 words).

via Reddit

Instead of freaking out or getting angry, Julio Diaz gave his mugger a coat and then treated him to dinner (3m 12s). It's a nice story, but I do have to wonder how many muggers are this impressionable.

Valentine's Day mixes may be great, but if you really want your heart to sink, listen to Rufus Wainwright's cover of "My Funny Valentine" (3m 24s MP3). Although it's pretty, I wouldn't suggest dedicating it to anyone -- "Your looks are laughable, unphotographable" is not the best pick-up line. Full disclosure: My Funny Valentine was written for a 1937 musical, not by Rufus.

Despite the lack of a leader instructing them, much less a developed brain, ants can build incredibly complex systems underground (6m 37s).

via TED

I've always wondered how movie theaters profit (871 words). There are the obvious rip-offs at the concession stands, which are very calculated (adding salt to popcorn sets you up for another rip-off, a drink). But, ticket sales are profitable, too, with revenue usually being split 50/50. Both of these explain why most movies are 128 minutes or less -- the theaters demand it.

Continental is the first airline to try out paperless check-in. Instead of a boarding pass (which we can now call a boring pass), you have a complex barcode on your phone or PDA. It’s not really going to save much paper, but it’s a little more convenient.

There’s an article about the theory of reference (1696 words) which also talks about this “new” approach to philosophy called experimental philosophy. That’s funny — “experimental philosophy” used to mean something else (today it’s known as “science”), which brings up, once again, the theory of reference. Now I’m confused.

When computers went down at a Whole Foods in Connecticut, instead of hassling the customers with some type of ad hoc system, the store quietly gave the groceries away for free (472 words).

via reddit

Director Mauro Vecchi created an optical illusion-based music video for Erlend ??ye’s newest band, The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (3m 54s).

via Get Weird Turn Pro

CollegeHumor created a television news version of your Facebook News Feed (1m 33s).

via Valleywag

As I see it, with just two semesters of school left, I've got to make sure I've tried everything on Design*Sponge's Austin Design Guide. Now if only they'd publish one for Singapore...

“I think you’re ugly because you’re unattractive” is a statement that really begs the question. A statement like “It really begs the question: why is he so dumb?” does not. In fact, begging the question makes use of neither the common use of ‘begging,’ nor the common use of ‘question.’

Think you can guess just three of the top five most beer-consuming countries? Give it a try and then check your results.

Andrew Sloat created a typographic ode to the twenty-second amendment (1m 00s) by combining individually shot videos. His other work is similarly awesome.

via kottke, quipsologies

There are plenty of flat, two-dimensional optical illusions, but the spinning girl/left versus right brain test is so much trickier since it’s animated to be three-dimensional. Try to get the girl to change directions.

via reddit

Steven Colbert was interviewed on NPR (8m 20s), in character, to promote his new book, I Am America (And So Can You!).

With all of the hoopla surrounding Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize win, I feel compelled to dig up a piece of regrettable news: all of the major scientific models of global warming have been empirically proven wrong. It’s painful to say it at a time like this, but they were off. Way off.

via reddit

“Music, a mode of creative expression consisting of sound and silence expressed through time, was given a 6.8 out of 10 rating (545 words) in an review published Monday on Pitchfork Media, a well-known music-criticism website.”

via khoi vinh

A La Carte (5m 20s), a group of a few talented exchange students here, debuts with an exploratory masterpiece. Titled "22 Cups and a Coathanger," the group poses a deep hypothetical to Singapore's Prime Minster, Lee Kuan Yew.

I don’t know much about Celtic culture, but if they go around singing tunes like “Do Virgins Taste Better Than Those Who Are Not?” count me in.

And if you’re wondering how the village dragon responded (I know I am), there’s “The Dragon’s Retort.” (Hint: yes, they taste better.) The bearded guy in the second half of this video performs it.

"I'm like the Atheist spokesman. That's why I come under fire and pressure attacks like Rex Grossman." Greydon Square raps about atheism. (Lyrics are on his site.)

via richard dawkins

via kottke

President Bush is flying to APEC (892 words), but the entire city of Sydney is shutting down for days to prevent protests.

"A President Besieged and Isolated, Yet at Ease" (2,950 words) describes the private meetings of a deeper Bush. I thought it was fiction at first, but in the end, it's actual reporting. It says a lot on the psyche of our president.

If a business meeting were like internet comments… (2m 16s)

Cramer doesn't think the market is doing so well (3m 13s).

via Reddit

In 1992, Robin Dunbar proposed that the theoretical maximum number of sustainable, meaningful relationships any one person can have is, on average, 147.8. However, the standard deviation is humongous.

Slate has begun a video blog. My favorite so far is Magnum: The Hippies (2m 50s).

via Slate

Time Magazine: Are We Failing Our Geniuses? (3,767 words).

via Time Magazine